Earlier this year, students in the Marian Chapter of the National Honor Society decided to raise money for Make-A-Wish Western New York through different fundraising activities and decorated folders for wish kids going on trips, meeting celebrities, and doing other fun things! Our Lancers are doing some great things in the community! Special thanks to Make-A-Wish Development Coordinator Laura Nutty who came out to meet our kids and accept the donations!

On May May 17, 2018, the top three students from schools around WNY were honored at the Erie-Niagara Schools Superintendents Association Scholastic Achievement Dinner. The best and brightest of the Class of 2018 represented St. Mary’s tonight, and we are so proud of them! From left to right: Ryan Tytka (third highest overall GPA), Chelsea Okon (Valedictorian), and Shannon Murty (Salutatorian).

Villa Maria College held its 24th annual High School Photography Exhibition on May 10, 2018. Students in grades 9-12 submitted their photography for judgement and presentation in the gallery. This year, 275 pieces were submitted, of which 150 were accepted. In her first year participating, junior Alyssa LaMartina submitted a picture she took of the Buffalo Central Terminal’s main concourse window and received one of only 10 honorable mention awards! Keep an eye out for her work in the Glens Falls Art Festival the last weekend of July, the Lewiston Art Festival on August 11th and 12th, and in The Marian Gazette each month! Congratulations, Alyssa!

On May 3, 2018, the Lancaster Youth Bureau Hall of Fame was flooded by Lancers. Four members of the Class of 2018 were inducted into the prestigious organization. St. Mary’s sends its sincerest congratulations to: Stephanie Baran, Jake Fay, Joe Flading, and Chelsea Okon on being among the Youth Bureau Hall of Fame’s newest members.

Baran is a member of the Marian Chapter of the National Honor Society, Student Senate, participates in the St. Mary’s musical and other performing arts, runs track, and challenges herself with many AP courses. Fay is also a member of the National Honor Society, was captain of the wrestling team, also participates in the performing arts, and takes on a challenging course load. The Lancer wrestlers are well represented in this Hall of Fame class, as Flading was also a senior captain on the team. He also runs Cross Country and takes his academic work very seriously. Okon is consistently at the top of the academic ranks in her class, president of NHS, and very involved in dance inside and outside of St. Mary’s.

These four seniors will be greatly missed by the St. Mary’s community!

Each spring brings forth a renewed spirit and sense of excitement for the season that lies ahead. In keeping with this zest for the season, the faculty and staff of St. Mary’s High School in Lancaster recently participated in the school’s annual Day of Caring. Guided by the Franciscan tradition’s call to service, half of the school’s faculty and staff spent a day at St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, while the Buffalo City Mission hosted the other half of the staff.

The Head of School at St. Mary’s, Mr. Kevin Kelleher, wants to ensure St. Mary’s students develop a well-rounded sense of self throughout their time at the school. “One of the main virtues we want our kids to value at St. Mary’s is that sense of service,” Kelleher said. “We want our students to experience the amazing feeling you get when you give to others, and it is important for us, as teachers and administrators, to give of our time and talents as well.”

While at St. Luke’s, the St. Mary’s contingent unboxed and organized hundreds of gloves to be donated to those in need. Then, over at the Buffalo City Mission, staff members did various tasks throughout the day.

St. Mary’s plans to make these days of service a staple on their school calendar, for both faculty and students alike. “There are so many great organizations in Buffalo that serve some type of population in need or serve a deserving cause,” Kelleher continued. “We have a platform to work with these organizations that are so vital to our community and show our kids they can make a difference. That’s the power of learning through experiences in and out of the classroom.” St. Mary’s plans to start a Lancer Volunteer Corps. next year, where interested students will go to various places each month, volunteering their time to help those in need under the guidance of the school’s Campus Minister, Deacon Robb Ciezki.

St. Mary's students modeled some of today's latest fashions at the annual St. Mary's Fashion Show at Salvatore's Italian Gardens.

A huge thank you goes out to the generous retail stores that provided the fashions for the evening: Old Navy, Blush, J.P Tailors, TJMaxx, Gap, Bella Que, David's Bridal, Men's Warehouse, American Commodore Tuxedo, Young Essential Oils, and Norwex.

For even more photos, visit the "St. Mary's High School Lancaster, NY" Facebook page!

Java Jive is an annual event put on by the English department each year, in which St. Mary's students and staff write and perform their own poetry and songs in a coffee house-vibe event. What a great night, displaying all the creative minds at St. Mary's!

Bishop Richard Malone presided over Mass at St. Mary’s High School on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 in celebration of the school’s Easter liturgy.

The bishop was joined by four other priests, Father Ryszard, and Deacon Robb Ciezki, St. Mary’s Campus Minister and religion teacher, on the altar. St. Mary’s students, faculty, staff, administration, Board of Trustees, and parents made up the congregation. Two visiting priests, Msgr. David LiPuma ’78 and Fr. Bob Gebhard ’75 are also St. Mary’s alumni. Seminary and St. Mary’s alumnus, Bob Owczarzak ’02 was also able to join us for the Bishop Mass.

St. Mary’s students were thrilled to have Bishop Malone as their special guest at Mass: “Having the bishop actually at our school, celebrating Easter Mass like this, just adds a different level of excitement to the liturgy and really engages the students in the service,” said Andrew Wargo, a senior and student leader of the school’s Campus Ministry group.

The bishop was impressed with the participation and enthusiasm of the St. Mary’s student body in welcoming him and during the liturgy itself. In his homily, Bishop Malone talked about the importance of today’s youth having a meaningful relationship with God, saying, “It is in His [Jesus’] message that we find hope, joy, and courage, and ultimately salvation, you can’t find anywhere else.”

It’s a three-peat! Congratulations are in order for the USA Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, who brought home gold for the third straight Paralympics. St. Mary’s Class of 2010 alumnus, Adam Page, has been a member of the team in each of the past three gold medal-winning Paralympics.

This year, Team USA defeated Canada in overtime to bring home the gold.

In 2010, Adam was a senior at St. Mary’s and participated in his first Paralympics while attending school. He brought home his first gold medal to St. Mary’s, which was an amazing experience for our students. Adam plans to be involved with the Niagara Cup-champion St. Mary’s men’s hockey team upon his return, so it should be a wonderful Lancer homecoming once again!